The 17th Chess Olympiad, held in Havana, Cuba, took place between October 23 and November 20, 1966. This prestigious event, organised by FIDE, featured an open team tournament and various other activities aimed at promoting the game of chess. A total of 52 teams entered the competition, which were divided into seven preliminary groups. The top two teams from each group advanced to the final rounds.
The Soviet Union team, led by the then FIDE World Champion Tigran Petrosian, lived up to expectations and secured their eighth consecutive Gold Medal (Silver by the USA and Bronze by Hungary). Their dominance was remarkable, with six grandmasters (T. Petrosian, B. Spassky, M. Tal, L. Stein, V. Korchnoi, L. Polugaevsky) in their line-up – four players in each match and two reserves.
The Soviet Union team lost just two games out of the 80 they played!
The 17th Chess Olympiad was not only a battle of minds but also a celebration of the global chess community. It was played in the Havana Libre Hotel and Head of the Organising Committee was no other than the Cuban leader Fidel Castro! It remains a memorable chapter in chess history, where strategic brilliance met international camaraderie in the vibrant city of Havana.
The much awaited match, between Soviet Union and USA, took place in the second round of the Finals. Three draws and a win by Mihail Tal, gave the Soviet Union the prestigious victory by 2½:1½. Mihail Tal was unstoppable, scoring a remarkable 12/13 result, gaining of course the Golden Medal on the third board!
Here is the scoresheet of the game:
The final dominating position strongly reminds me the game Rogers,I-Milos,G Manila 1992, where Black had even a piece more, but in vain…
